A Moment In 2034
by Jav-chan
Summary: Futeristic AU Loved by all she manages to escape her tormenter. As he pursues she tries to reach the refugee camp so that her lover will know she's alive. Acid rain burns her skin as her persuer draws closer...


2034

The acid rain burned her skin as she darted through the woods. Years ago, thick foliage would have provided some sort of protection against the burning downpour, but that was a long time ago. That was a time when acid rain didn't hurt when it touched the skin. The harmful effects of the rain were something that happened over time. It didn't burn like this one did.

She pulled the plastic tarp tighter around her body. She could still feel his eyes on her. He was just feeding on her pain now. He was taking pleasure of her suffering in a rainfall that he was immune to. She hissed at the insistent pain from her side. She wanted so much to move her hand to her side to stop the flow of blood. It made him easier to track her, but if she did that the tarp would fall. The stench of burning plastic that the rains gave off as they pelted against the tarp made it hard to breathe, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She fought against the feeling, breathing as little as she dared. After all, it was all she had. If she let go of it now, then she would become a victim to the rains. Her skin would sizzle and burn. In a heavy downpour like this it would most likely melt off.

A stitch was starting to form in her side now. Another pain that added to the burning sensation against her exposed hands and ankles, and the intense pain from the torn flesh at her side. The stitch was more of an annoyance then anything. It didn't hurt like her wound did, but it was enough to make her want to stop and catch her breath.

No!

She couldn't stop. If she stopped now it was the end. Her death would either be by the rains or by him. Either way, he would get it.

There was a rustle to her right, a few feet behind her. Fear clawed at her heart. When did he get so close?

Adrenaline poured into her very being at the thought of him being so close. She had fought too hard to give up now. Doing her best to ignore the pain, she urged her feet faster. The adrenaline dimmed her pain somewhat. The stitch was the only thing that remained, but she stubbornly ignored it. She refused to give up now.

There was patch of scarlet wrapped around a skeletal tree, and her heart nearly leapt with relief. She would be entering holy grounds soon. He wouldn't be able to follow her anymore! Her lips set into a thin line as she hurried past the dead vegetation. She stumbled when she stepped on a decaying branch, and nearly collapsed to the ground. Her hand shot out from under the tarp and grabbed a nearby branch. The rain was like fire against her skin, but she did her best to ignore it. The branch started to crumble under her fingers, and she pushed away from it to stop herself from falling over.

She could hear his breathe now; it was hot and heavy, and so very close. He was much closer now, and her gray eyes darted to the side. They caught a flash of silver, and her breathe lodged in her throat as she saw the claws slash at her. They missed her by mere inches, and she sidestepped the next attack that she knew would come.

Sure enough there it was, a dagger that he held in his hand swiped at her. She urged her legs faster, twisting her torso as she tried to get of range. The curved tip of the blade cut through the tarp and grazed her skin. A strangled cry rose from her throat at the sharp pain, and she clung to her plastic covering as she twisted out of range.

There was a snarl of frustration as he pulled his dagger back, intent on striking at her again. The curved edge of the blade suddenly caught on a loose thread of the tarp, and the force of his strength as he pulled back yanked away her only protection against the rain.

An ear-splitting shriek suddenly sliced through the air as her tarp was torn from her grasp, and the burning rains pelted against her skin. She staggered forward, nearly stopping, as the pain attacked her mercilessly. She screamed again, trying to will her body to move faster to find some shelter but it refused to respond. Finally, her adrenaline gave out, and the pain of all the wounds that she had suffered attacked her senses like a sledge hammer. She fell to the ground, her hand going to cover the wound on her hip. She lay there, her body convulsing, and her screams made her throat raw. Her mind told her to get up, to run. The cave was just ahead. Just a few more feet and she would be safe, both from him and the rains.

Her body refused to respond and she lay there, her arms flailing from the pain that had rendered her nearly immobile.

_Help me._ She thought, her mind seeking out the one who made her feel safe.

The one who thought she was dead.

Vaguely, she was aware of his steady footsteps coming to a stop just before her. She looked over at his bare foot, and still she screamed raggedly. She could make out him yelling some vulgar word at her, but she couldn't comprehend it exactly. She just wanted the pain to go away.

She continued to scream, sucking in poisonous air, until he brought the hilt of his dagger crashing against her skull. Black spots danced on her vision, and her voice finally failed her. Her body still convulsed, but the only sounds that could be heard where the sizzling of her skin as the rain fell, his heaving breaths, and her dying gasps.

He looked down at her coldly. Dark eyes, hidden beneath neatly cropped bangs, roved over her body. His naked body shivered with the anticipation of her flesh against his. That damn rock would soon be his. Her body would soon be his. His lips spread into a malicious grin when her limbs finally stopped moving and her body was still.

* * *

He stared listlessly at the heart she had given him. It was made of goldstone, and had been her most treasured possession. It had been a gift from her mother.

_He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the stone heart. It had been polished to perfection and felt smooth in his hand as he looked it over. The only indication of its age was the faint scratches and smudges of dirt. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her._

_"What the hell is this?"_

_She let out a light giggle. She was hoping from one foot to the other, a motion that would have seemed childish on anyone else. She paused in her movement and tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ears before sidling up to him, a huge grin on her face._

_"Mama gave it to me." Her soft voice was a stark contrast to her previously bouncy demeanor. She suddenly sat down on the rickety stool next to him, her face serious. "I want you to have it."_

_His amber eyes went wide at the sudden declaration. She had been so bouncy only moments before. He searched her eyes trying to find a hint as to why the sudden change._

_"Why?"_

_Her blue-gray orbs met his, and he was surprised to see the tears that were starting to form in the corners._

_"Please," she wrapped one hand over his and squeezed it tightly. "I want you to have it. Just in case."_

_He let out a snort, trying to find some way to cover his discomfort. It was so unusual to see her like this. Even after everything they all had gone through she had still managed to keep high spirits. She was the one that had kept everyone's spirits up as they traveled the hard and long voyage from Tokyo. To see such levels of sorrow in her eyes…it made him want to do everything possible to take that all away, and bring back his Kagome._

_She was just about to remove her hand from him, a dejected look on her face when he breathed a long-suffered sigh. _

_"Keh, if it means that much to you." He took the leather pouch that he kept around his neck off, and deposited the golden heart in it, pulling the drawstring shut. He placed it around his neck, pulling his hair out from under the cord as it lay against his neck. _

_Suddenly the sadness disappeared from her eyes and she let out a squeal of delight. She jumped off of the stool, and all but jumped into his lap. He let out a small "oof" at her sudden weight, and looked down at her as she wound her arms around his neck. Her lips brushed against his cheek in a small peck, and she moved down to nuzzle his neck._

_"Arigatou, Inuyasha." Her breathe was warm against his skin, and sent a slight shiver down his spine. _

_He, in the meanwhile, had a rather stupid grin on his face as he inhaled her scent. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and held her close. Moments like these were rare. There was always someone in their cave usually. He could count the number of times when he and Kagome had been alone since all this began on one hand._

_"Kagome?"_

_She tilted her head back to look up at him._

_"Why do you want me to have that stone? Your mother gave it to you. You've never…" He bit his lip when she suddenly buried her face into his chest. The salty scent of tears quickly followed, and Inuyasha felt a stab of guilt. _

_The topic of her mother was always a tender subject with Kagome. When he had first met Kagome she had refused to take him to her home for months. She had lived in a shrine, and the first time he had gone there was during the New Year's festivals. He had been shocked to find out what type of people her parents were. _

_He had imagined her mother to be kind and gentle, and her father to be stubborn and good-humored. He had always expected Kagome to be a mix of the two, but reality was never that nice. _

_Kagome's mother was a drunk that could barely hold a job for a week. She would go into fits of rage (he had witnessed one of these at the New Year's festival) and would scream on how worthless her daughter was. Kagome's father hadn't been that much better. Granted he had held a job that had kept a steady income for his family but that was about it. He got high regularly, and loved to gamble. Latter on Inuyasha found out that her father's job had been some involvement with a drug ring. _

_It amazed Inuyasha on how sane Kagome had turned out._

_Yes, her parents had been deadbeats, but when Kagome really needed them they were always there for her. They had saved her life when the war with the youkai had started to escalate. _

_The youkai started to attack any of miko lineage. Kagome, who could trace her blood back to the great Midoriko from the Sengoku Jidai, had been their first target._

_They had believed that she would lead them to the Shikon no Tama, but when it became clear that she had no clue as to where the mythical jewel could be they decided to kill her. The youkai, Goryoumaru, and his followers had wanted to use the jewel to wipe all of humanity off of the face of the Earth. Only hanyous would be spared, and they would be used as slaves. _

_Kagome's father had used his connections within the drug ring to attack the youkai the moment he had received the news. He had died within the first wave of the strike. The only defenses after his death were the wardings that had been set up around the shrine. It took quite a while for them to break through. By this time all of Tokyo had been in utter chaos. Goryoumaru's follows were killing humans outright, and were beating any youkai or hanyous that stood against them._

_Inuyasha had taken to the rooftop of his apartment to avoid the mob. He had rushed over in the direction of the shrine, and had only arrived there just as the youkai had broken past the wardings. The last thing he remembered clearly was a shrill scream. The rest of his memories were a bit hazy. One thing he did remember clearly, however, was that his only thoughts had been on Kagome. What if that was her that had screamed? What if they were slicing through her with their claws?_

_It was these thoughts, and the image of her bloody body, that caused him to react. Somehow he had managed to get to Kagome. He had found her being held by two burly youkai, their claws tearing at her clothes. Goryoumaru had been talking to her, but Kagome hadn't seemed like she was hearing him. Her eyes had, instead, been trained on the mauled corpse of her mother._

_Something in Inuyasha's blood had burned hot at the sight, and his mind went blank. All he remembered where the snarls, screams, and the blood. The last thing he remembered clearly was holding Kagome in his arms, one arm supporting her back while the other was hooked under her legs. She had been sobbing into his shirt, as he bounded from building to building successfully avoiding the carnage that littered the streets below. _

_His destination had been his parents' mansion, and it proved to be the right choice. Most of those who had managed to escape the attack had massed there. Over the course of a few days his parents had manage to discover that Goryoumaru and his followers were succeeding in their plans. They gathered all of the survivors that they could find, and, after gathering the necessary supplies need for survival, they headed towards Hokkaido. There were many expanses of caverns surrounding the urban town, making it easy to escape from Goryoumaru when his followers had managed to sniff out their scent._

_Kagome had been in a depression for days after the attack. Inuyasha hadn't quite understood why. The only person she seemed to be grieving over was her mother, the abusive parent. Her father had almost never been present and when he was he was usually high. So just before the large mob refugees were going to split into groups and set out for Hokkaido, Inuyasha spent some time with her. As it turned out Mrs. Higurashi hadn't been the horrible mother that Kagome had made her out to be. There had actually been a few times when the woman would help Kagome with her troubles or was just…there. Those times may have been few and far in-between, but they had been just enough so that Kagome would grieve her mother._

_Still, even after admitting how much she loved her mother, it was still a subject that Kagome avoided talking about. Inuyasha could never quite figure it out, but then again there never really was time for him to sit down and ponder the minor dilemma. They were always busy doing something to fight for their survival. Whether it was searching for food, finding a new safe haven, or leading Goryoumaru away from their caves Inuyasha found himself constantly busy. Private times were scarce to come by. _

_"Please don't ask." Her muffled voice startled Inuyasha from his thoughts. "I just feel like something bad is going to happen, and-"_

_Her words were cut off when he reached down and hooked one claw under her chin. Tear-filled eyes looked up at his as he dipped his head down for a kiss. _

There had been so many times, lately, when he just wanted nothing more then to throw the goldstone heart away. It brought up too many painful memories, but it was the only thing he had left of her. A part of him knew that in the long run he would have regretted it.

The bulb for the overhead light flickered annoyingly but he paid it no attention. It had been flickering for days but he no longer cared. What did it matter when she wasn't here to tell him to fix it? There were so many times when the stress of leading this small group of survivors would get to him, and she had always been there to pull him back from the edge of oblivion. What was he going to do now?

He couldn't survive without her.

The laughter of children reached his sensitive hearing, and he covered his head with his hands as the painful memories attacked him again.

He could still hear her screams as the knife tore deep into her side. He could still see her face contort in pain as her hand reached down to cover the wound. She staggered away from the attacker.

He had been so far away. It didn't matter how fast he had forced himself to move. It hadn't been fast enough. He hadn't even been able to warn her as she approached the edge of the cliff.

Her attacker had lunged at her again, and she had moved out of the way, the heels of her boots hanging over the ledge. Her arms had flailed as she tried to maintain her balance, but the pain made her sluggish and she had been unable to push her weight forward so that she would fall to her knee at the cliff's edge.

When she had fallen from the cliff he had just lost it. His vision was stained in red.

Blood-red.

Her attacker had been cursing up a storm, immensely disappointed at failing in his task. It was just like the time when Goryoumaru had launched his first attack. His blood boiled hot as his vision went red and his memory went blank. All he could remember was the smell of blood and the sounds of tearing flesh.

When he had come to himself he noticed the youkai's corpse lying in a mangled heap a few feet away. The metallic scent of blood had reached his nose and he noticed the blood that stained his claws. A darker part of him had relished in the knowledge that the one that had killed Kagome was now dead, but that had been quickly replaced by an immediate sense of despair.

Inuyasha turned his dull golden eyes to a corner of the cave. Everything just seemed so empty without her around. He didn't seem to have any energy anymore. They were supposed to moving their location soon, but he didn't have the strength to start planning out what needed to be done.

Kagome had always helped with that.

_That rope should be strong enough. _He thought as he stared at a tangled rope that had been thrown at the corner of the cave. He raised his eyes to the ceiling, relieved when he saw a sturdy looking rock jutting out. _That should be strong enough to support me._

* * *

"Y-you! Stay away from my beloved!"

The sable haired woman let out a small sigh, as she observed the monitor in front of her. She kept her violet eyes trained on the glowing screen, and tried to block out the sounds that surrounded her.

The sounds of the taping of keyboards and the low 'bleeps' of the computers were easy enough to ignore. It was the high pitched voice that was coming from outside the cave that was grating on her nerves.

_Concentrate, Sango. Concentrate. _

Her eyes roved over the screen of the weather monitor. Inutaishou had sent a message through the Morse Code this morning asking that they monitor the Acid Forests for the next 24 hours. Since Sango was the only one who actually knew how to operate the dying machine she had been nominated for the task. A task that was becoming increasing harder with the shrieks of a certain someone. Most likely it was because another certain someone was hitting on someone that they shouldn't have been.

Gritting her teeth, she tried once again to concentrate on the glowing screen. Her violet eyes scanned the screen again, but they were no longer taking in any of the information that it was producing. The abnormal numbers of the amount the acid rain that was falling over the forests didn't register. Neither did the recorded time of the rains that indicated that they had been falling for the past three days. All she could concentrate on was that annoying voice.

Letting out a growl of frustration, she stood up suddenly. The aggressiveness of her movement caused her chair to clatter to the stone floor of the cave. She paid it no attention. It was made of iron. The craftsmanship was hasty and crude, but it was durable. It was nothing like the rickety wooden ones.

There were screeches and moans as the other refugees inched their own chairs away from Sango, their eyes never leaving the screens that occupied most of their attention.

Sango was not a woman that they wanted to mess with.

Her hands were curled into tight fists; her expression thunderous as she stomped towards the cave's opening. She paused only a moment to grab an enormous boomerang made of bone. It was a memento from her previous life, and proved to be very useful as a weapon.

It was also quite handy when dealing with certain annoyances.

Weak sunlight washed over her as she stopped outside. Her eyes scanned for just where the guilty party was, and spotted them near a pond filled with polluted water. Her boots were noisy as she stomped over to them, and drew the attention of all but one.

"Stop seducing Aman!"

"I told you my name is not Aman!"

"Get away!"

"Leave Aman alone, you tramp!"

The bantering continued back and forth. A certain black-haired man hitting on another with black hair, and the third party that was desperately trying to pull the black-haired man away.

Sango approached the noisy group, her lip sent into an angry line. It was only when she was only a few feet away that two sets of eyes noticed her livid figure. The owners of these eyes slowly backed away from the third, desperate to escape her wrath. The third person, someone with a slender build and hair pinned up high on the scalp, was completely oblivious.

The dark-haired woman gripped the leather strap tightly, not speaking yet as she lifted it off of her back and brought it crashing down on her victim with a rather tremendous force.

"Jakotsu!" The volume of Sango's voice caused many to poke their heads out of the entrance to the main cave in interest. "What the hell are you doing!"

Jakotsu looked up at her in irritation from his place on the ground. The force of the blow had caused his carefully arranged hair to become undone. His dark eyes scowled at the lacquered dragonfly comb from its spot on the ground. He stood up dusting at his kimono. It was a dark blue, with silver wisteria trees sewn into the silk. The gold-colored obi was now askew, and the kimono had a terrible rip at the bottom. Tears welled up in his eyes as he turned his head to glare at Sango. The tears caused his makeup to run as he screamed at the sable-haired woman.

"Sango-san, why did you go and do that? This was my favorite! Aman had the seamstress in Kyoto make it for me."

"It wasn't for you!" 'Aman' yelled in protest. "It was for-" He suddenly broke off when Jakotsu and Sango looked at him expectantly, just waiting for him to admit it. His pale skin went crimson as he sputtered. "I-it…I-I…" His voice trailed off before he finally let go of the arm he had been clinging to. He ran back to the cave adding, "And my name is not Aman!", as he ducked under the low ceiling.

"Aman!" Jakotsu scrambled up off of the ground, wiping away his tears and smudging his makeup even further. "Wait for me!"

"Stay away from me!"

Sango let out an irritated sigh and lifted the strap to her boomerang over her shoulder as the faint protest reached her ears.

"He still refuses to admit it."

The young woman's eyebrow twitched with suppressed irritation when she noticed the cockiness that filled the rich tenor voice.

"Watch it, Miroku." She growled, turning to glare at him. "I'm not in the mood for it."

Miroku grinned boyishly, knowing it would only serve to irritate Sango even further. She was going to belt him later for this, but he didn't care.

She was so cute when she got angry!

He walked over to her cautiously, keeping a slight distance as they headed back to the cave. The rigidness of her stature told him that she was not going to put up with any smart remarks from him.

"You look so serious," He finally said, when they were much nearer to the entrance. Her shoulders were less stiff. "What were you working on?" Miroku sidled up next to her, when she paused in mid-stride. His face was still a boyish mixture of innocence and mischief when he stepped much closer to her. The expression never changed when he slid his arm behind her back and fondled her behind.

The reaction was what anyone would expect. Sango went several shades red, and she let out an enraged shriek. Several heads poked out of the cave. Watching the resident tomboy beat up the resident pervert was a favorite past time. In the beginning many had called Miroku a player, but it didn't hold because the only woman he really seemed to harass seriously was Sango. It had been ages since he had chased any woman but her, but the refugees were content to stick with the title of pervert.

Her fist connected with his jaw, the blow sending him to the ground. It left the young man feeling dazed and confused. Stars danced in his vision as he blinked his eyes several times. His vision finally cleared and Miroku was greeted with the sight of an extremely angry Sango. Fingers were curled around the leather strap of her boomerang, lifting it an inch above her shoulder.

She seemed to be considering on whether or not she should do to him what she did to Jakotsu.

Miroku tried very hard to keep the grin from spreading on his face. His jaw was aching from the blow, and he had been pummeled with the weapon before. It hurt and would leave him with a headache that would last for days. His grin would be the little bit that she needed to be pushed over the edge.

Her brow furrowed as she seemed to contemplate the pros and cons of giving him a thorough bashing. Finally, after several tense minutes, she pivoted on her heel, and stalked back towards the cave.

Miroku let out a silent sigh of relief. He sat on the dirt, his palms stretched out behind him as he thanked whatever it was that made Sango decide to spare him. Maybe he should just stay out here for a while. The sun felt really good, and it would give her time to cool down.

The voice snapping in his direction effectively ruined those plans.

"Miroku, get your ass in here! You need to see this!"

The anger had left her voice rather quickly, he mused. As he pushed himself up, his mind tried to identify the new emotion that had tinged her voice.

It didn't sound like fear or worry, but with just a little push it could easily become either. Most likely it could become worry. Fear was a very rare emotion for Sango.

Anxiety melded into her voice when she called out to him again. Miroku headed towards the mouth of the cave in a jog, the grin on his face fading at the amount of anxiety that was evident in her voice.

* * *

His eyes rolled with pleasure as he dug his hand into the bleeding flesh of her side. Kagome's breath came in painful gasps, but besides the movement that was caused by it her body remained still. He tore through flesh, bits of it becoming wedged under his claws.

Goryoumaru finally withdrew his hand with a frown after a few moments when he failed to come in contact with the smooth, circular surface he was expecting.

Was it embedded in her other hip?

He raised his hand, cleansing it of the blood and flesh with his tongue.

The tingling sensation that suddenly enveloped him quickly banished that possibility. There wouldn't be so much power in her blood if it didn't come from this hip. He had tasted blood on other parts of her and it had only held traces. It had to be here.

So where was the damn jewel!

His inky eyes scoured her body, trying to discern what she could have possibly done with it. It was then that he noticed that the rains had burned away all of her clothes. If he didn't get her to some sort of shelter soon her skin would burn away.

There were caves up ahead. They had been her destination – the 'holy grounds'. He snorted before kneeling down to scoop her into his arms. The power that was sealed into holy grounds was nearly now existent in this day and age. Any purifying power that was left would be easy to consume with his youki.

Goryoumaru grinned in a leery sort of way. Perhaps he should try waking her. He felt himself harden in anticipation of how he could coax the jewels whereabouts from Kagome when she did.

* * *

"Inuyasha!"

Sango poked her head into the inner cave that Inuyasha lived in. She let out a groan of exasperation when she saw what lay inside.

Inuyasha hung from the cave ceiling by a thick rope that had been fashioned into a noose. His body swayed slightly. Sango's violet eyes scanned the cave, trying to figure out how he had managed to do it this time. She finally spied the bit of stone that jutted out high from the wall. Before she had been killed Kagome had used that as a shelf for all of their medicinal supplies. A stalagmite jutted up in the middle. It was of a decent size and the rope was tied securely around it. Her eyes also noticed the stool that lay on its side.

The idiot must have kicked it when he had slipped the noose on.

Letting out a string of curses Sango left the room.

"Miroku!"

A head peered out of the entrance to the cavern that served as an infirmary.

"What?"

"Get my hunting knife. He's done it again."

"Again?" Miroku sounded just as exasperated as she felt.

At Sango's nod he disappeared from view for a moment, to tell whatever patient he had been tending to that he would be back shortly. He then reappeared only to disappear in the cavern right across from the infirmary. Sango tapped her foot impatiently as she wanted for him to retrieve her weapon from their cavern.

Miroku was quick in finding the knife, grabbing it from its resting spot inside a makeshift chest, and hurried to join Sango. He placed the knife in her hand, and they stepped back into Inuyasha's cave.

"Isn't this getting old?"

Sango frowned slightly as she turned over and empty crate, and pushed it underneath the stone shelf. Miroku sounded way too cheerful, considering with what they were dealing with. It kind of grated on her nerves.

"Shove it, bouzo. Just let me die in peace."

Apparently, Inuyasha felt the same way.

Putting the knife into its sheath on her leather belt Sango stepped onto the crate, keeping one hand on the wall. She used the other to grip the rope. Moving slowly, she twisted her body and let go of the wall. Her feet moved slowly, and the crate groaned. Damn, that thing didn't sound or feel stable. Vowing to pummel Inuyasha thoroughly if it broke, Sango took her knife from her belt and sawed at the rope.

It was only a matter of minutes before it went slack. Curses vibrated against the walls loudly when a body fell rather heavily against the stone floor.

"It's your own damn fault." Sango snapped as she stepped off of the crate. "Miroku, see if you can get Naraku to come and smooth off that shelf."

Miroku balked.

"Why me? Why can't Inuyasha do it?"

"Because one, I need Inuyasha to do something for me; and two, I'm still pissed at you."

"I'll do it after I finish taking care of Kaiyla."

"No, you'll do it now. That way he can work on it while you finish mending Kaiyla's bone." Sango suddenly paused. "That better be the only thing you're doing in there."

"Of course." Miroku answered smoothly before coming to a sudden realization. "What if he hits on me again?"

"Deal. Now go."

Miroku grumbled something about woman and gay jewelers as he left.

"Inuyasha, get up." Sango walked over to the silver-haired hanyou who lay prone on the floor. She prodded at his side with the heel of her boot. "Come on. I need a favor."

"Forget it." Was the gruff response.

Sango ran her fingers through her hair. She kept it cropped short now. It made fighting much easier.

"Inuyasha, if you don't get up and at least listen to me I'll go and get Kaiyla. We both know she hates your guts. I heard castration has recently become a new hobby of hers. You should see what she did to the last youkai that stumbled across here."

Inuyasha bolted upright, fear evident in his amber eyes.

"I don't want to be castrated."

"Of course not." Sango agreed. "What man does? Take this." She thrust an empty vial at him. "I need you to go to the Acid Forest, and collect some samples from the rain. The scanner is showing higher concentrations then normal."

"No."

"Kaiyla!"

"Ok, ok!" Inuyasha waved his arms hastily. The fear had returned in his eyes. "I'll get your damn samples. Just keep that psychotic bitch away from me."

He swiped the vial from her hand, and hurried out of the cave.

"Hurry up!" Sango called after him, a small smile spread across her lips. That had been easy enough. Her eyes swept around the cave, however, and the smile quickly faded.

"Kagome-chan." Her voice was a painful whisper now. "Why did you have to leave? We need you." Her eyes traveled to the cut rope. "He needs you."

Sango allowed herself a brief moment to wallow in the bitter memories.

Her smiling friend. The way she had held the refugees together when supplies where low. The way she kept morale up.

The moment quickly faded when Sango heard someone shouting her name urgently. The memories faded into the back of her mind as she left the cave, sparing one thought on a depressed hanyou.

How much longer would Inuyasha survive before he actually succeeding in killing himself?

* * *

The cave was relatively dry. Only a little bit of the acid rains dripped from the entrance. Goryoumaru set Kagome on the ground. The leery grin, which had disappeared while he searching for the shelter, returned. It was almost too much.

The smell of her blood was so sweet. So sweet. He licked his lips in anticipation of drinking it again. He could only have a little bit though. It wouldn't do to have her die on him. His eyes traveled down her body.

Even though a good portion of it had been burned by the rains, the flesh was responding to the cold and dampness of the cave.

Oh, how he ached for her.

Goryoumaru kneeled next to her still form, slapping her cheeks gently in an attempt to get her to wake up. He wanted to see the fear when he took her. He had waited so long, too long, for this.

He had fantasized about this, but never dared. He couldn't risk tainting the jewel, but now with it gone…

"Wake up, Kagome-chan." He whispered. "Where is the jewel? Wake up, Kagome-chan."

The whisper continued until, several moments later, its sinister calling slowly started to rouse the young woman from the mercy of darkness.

* * *

Inuyasha stuck the vial in the puddle and let the water rush in. He waited a few minutes before removing his hand. He frowned when he noticed how red it was. Even though he was a hanyou, the rains shouldn't have made his skin look like that. The briefest bit of worry broke through his irritation.

Those with youkai blood were the only ones who were able to withstand the burning rains. It melted off clothing not embedded with youki and caused the skin to sizzle. That was nothing to mention of noxious fumes that they produced. Breathing in too much was dangerous, even for youkai, but they could withstand it at least a couple of hours longer then humans.

It was one of the reasons why Sango had sent him.

Out of all of those of youkai lineage that lived in the Southern Refugee Cave, Inuyasha was the only who wasn't afraid to go venturing into the Acid Forest. Very few youkai lived in the camp, and even fewer hanyous. Kaiyla was the only one other then himself who was able to withstand the rains. The others were far too young, nothing more then whelps. Sure, there were older, stronger youkai living in the caves, but at the moment they were out hunting for food.

Kaiyla would have volunteered for the job eagerly, if Sango had offered it to her, but she had suffered a few broken limbs in the last raid. Being a full-blooded neko youkai she should have been completely healed by now. (Cats had an annoying tendency to heal faster then any other breed of youkai.) Yet, for some reason, her right arm was refusing to heal in the normal way. It was only after being ordered to that Kaiyla had begrudgingly allowed Miroku to breaks the bones again, set them, and heal the arm in the way that humans did.

Of course, Kaiyla's injuries weren't the only reason why he was now out here, braving rains that were much more acidic than normal.

Inuyasha brushed the silver strand that had fallen free from the braid he kept his hair in. He wasn't a fool. He knew what Sango had in mind when she set him out here.

It was all a stupid attempt to keep his thoughts from wandering. The bitch was butting her nose in where it didn't belong. By having him do menial tasks such as this, the young woman hopped to keep him from thinking of Kagome.

He would never let her know how grateful he was.

The inu hanyou knew that the way he had acted ever since Kagome's death was pitiful. He was wallowing in his own miseries, and neglecting his duties as the camp's leader. He didn't care that his actions were shifting the burden of leadership to Sango.

He just didn't care.

Sesshoumaru and Inutaishou would be ashamed of him if they knew how he was acting.

His father and half-brother had no idea of knowing that Kagome was dead. The only contact he had with them was the Morse Code messages. At the moment their camp simply didn't have enough batteries to send messages. They only had enough to receive.

Inuyasha let out a small sneeze. The fumes were starting to get to him. He only had forty-five minutes, at best, before they would start to make him feel dizzy. He pocketed the small vial and turned to leave, but something made him hesitate.

His gold eyes flicked over to the winding path that twisted further into the forest. There was something on the air, something familiar and strong. Not thinking, the hanyou took a deep breath in an attempt to place the strange scent. He immediately regretted it.

The acidic fumes invaded his nostrils, causing him to cough and snort violently. He shook his head, trying to clear his senses of the dizzying smell.

"Damn rains." He wheezed.

Inuyasha started to turn back to the path that led out of the Acid Forests only to stop once more.

Something was calling to him.

Mentally berating himself for having the curiosity of a cat, he headed down the path that led deeper into the forest.

* * *

Pain. Gods, there was so much pain. The ground was cold beneath her body. It caused her to frown. She groaned slightly, but still did not open her eyes. The ground, it almost felt like stone.

Was she in the caves? How? The last thing she remembered was Goryoumaru's form standing over her. It had been hazy, but there had been no mistaking that foul aura.

Kagome's sixth sense may have been nothing compared to what her grandmother's had been like, but she could use them to discern the basic aspects of her surroundings.

Something sharp suddenly dug into her wounded hip. She curled up into a ball, hissing as she tried to escape. A small part of her, a part that she had long since thought to be dead, grew angry that someone would dare to hurt a person who was so obviously injured. The anger was quickly lost in the haze of pain.

Damn, having your skin pelted with those acid rains really _hurt_.

Maybe she should open her eyes and give this person a good piece of her mind.

It was the hoarse breathing by her ear that caused her to freeze. Warm breath tickled her skin, and a dangerous, familiar aura teased her sixth sense.

Suddenly, she didn't want to open her eyes any more.

* * *

The feeling of uneasiness steadily grew as Inuyasha ran deeper into the forest. The rains grew lighter the deeper he ran.

_Eye of the storm?_ He wondered.

A metallic, disturbingly familiar scent quickly started the hanyou out of his amused thoughts.

He came to a sudden halt when he slowly began to recognize the metallic scent.

It was the smell of blood.

His golden eyes were instinctively drawn to the ground. His expression became solemn. Splotches of crimson blood, blood that had been turned black in some spots because of the rain, lead a steady trail to the clearing that lay just ahead. Another splash of red caught his eye.

An abused strip of cloth was wrapped tightly around a brittle tree. Surprise filled him at seeing such a worn piece of cloth in these woods.

_Must have been embedded with youki._ He mused.

Inuyasha walked over to a splotch of blood. He kneeled before it, trying to sniff out its owner's distinct scent. He let out a growl when the only thing he was able to discover was the fact that the person was human.

That also meant that the owner was probably nothing more then melted skin and bones by now.

The person was also being chased, he realized. Youkai, maybe hanyou, be the feel of it. The youki that permeated the area left a taint in an air that was already saturated with acid fumes. Frowning, Inuyasha ran the last stretch of land before the clearing, darting through the trees.

When he entered the clearing the distinctiveness of the scent hit him like a ton of bricks.

He knew this scent.

No.

It wasn't possible.

It couldn't be.

He started taking in rapid, deep breathes, the acidic fumes making him feel light-headed. _Was it just the fumes? _He saw it again.

Blood staining the blouse red as it flowed from the chest wound.

Her arms flailing as she tried to keep balance.

Shrill screams of pain.

Screams of help.

Screaming his name.

Inuyasha stared at the rather large splotch. He slowly sunk to his knees, disbelief etched into his face. His mind was denying the blood scent. It just wasn't possible. There was no way that she could possibly be alive.

Yet, even as he shook is head in denial, a slow rage started to fill his being. His body knew what his mind refused to believe.

She was alive.

Kagome was alive.

"She's hurt." The growl was soft, almost indistinguishable.

His blood was urging him forward to run, save her from her suffering, but his mind still refused to allow his body to move. Still, even as the anger turned to rage, it couldn't believe the truth.

A shrill scream broke through the small hissing of rain as it hit the ground.

He bolted.

He had always reacted the same way to her screams. Even if they had been screams of laughter brought on by teasing he always reacted this way. Sesshoumaru had always constantly teased him about acting like a love-sick puppy. He had even suggested, before the attack, that Inuyasha even take her as his mate.

Would Kagome have really wanted to mate with a hanyou?

She had loved as purely as it was possible for one to love another. He knew that. She had long since adjusted to the fact that, on some things, he tended to stick more to the youkai ways. She most likely would have said yes if he had asked her, but the insecure part of him had been reluctant to take the step. The insecurity was a result of verbal abuse as a child. Always concerning him being a hanyou in a full-blooded human community.

Was this his chance to fix that mistake?

Inuyasha shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking of such things. The thick, silver braid streamed behind him, and he bit back a gasp when he finally stepped into the holy lands that the earlier strip of cloth had signified.

The purifying aura that surged through his body was enough to startle, but it did little more. Confusion swamped him for a moment. This area had obviously been her goal. Was it because she was being chased, or did the owner of that familiar aura only happen upon her? All the holy grounds had caves that ancient mikos had used for their training. The area surrounding the caves was imbued with their holy magic, but that had been over hundreds of years ago. With the assimilation of youkai and human culture the magic had become tainted. It no longer created a solid barrier of protection. Granted, it might slow down a pure-blooded youkai, but no more.

What was Kagome thinking?

Her scream ripped through the air again, this time followed by sobs. Inuyasha pushed himself forward. Her voice had sounded almost echoey. That meant that she was most likely in the cave, safe from the rains.

But not from danger.

Inuyasha leaped over a dead thorn bush. Strips of cloth that had once been vividly colored hung limply from the weak branches. More still, scattered the forest ground. Dimly, he noted that it marked the caves entrance. He didn't even pause to see what was going on inside as he hurled his body inside.

What he saw made his blood burn with an indescribable emotion.

An emotion that was darker than rage.

She lay prone on the stone floor, naked, all of her clothing having been burnt off by the rains. A tanned, naked man with dark, stood over her, a foot planted on each wrist. A sickening amount of blood leaked from a nasty wound on her left hip. Her pale skin was dotted with burns where the acid rain had touched it. A vicious claw wound covered her breasts and chest in angry red lines. If someone didn't see to the wound soon it would become infected.

The sight was enough to make Inuyasha burn with, but it was the aroused member and the words the man – youkai – spoke that pushed the hanyou over the edge.

"Suck it."

Kagome screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks in streams, and turned her head to the side, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Look at me, bitch." The tone of the command forced Inuyasha to stop and look at the youkai clearly.

Goryoumaru.

Goryoumaru rocked his feet, transferring all of his weight to his heels.

Kagome screamed when the bones snapped.

Letting out a sound that was somewhere between a scream and a roar, Inuyasha hurled himself at Goryoumaru. His claws dug into the other man's flesh as he collided, using the force to push the youkai off of Kagome.

They crashed into the stone wall of the cave's back. Inuyasha kicked and clawed at his enemy, his mind singing when blood started to flow. It was only after the hanyou had suffered several cuts and blows himself that he rolled away. He planted his feet firmly in front of Goryoumaru, standing between the youkai and the wounded woman.

Kagome's whimpers faded into the distance when Goryoumaru recognized Inuyasha. His lips pulled back, baring his fangs, he growled out "hanyou".

Inuyasha returned the unspoken challenge, flexing his claws and baring his own fangs in a feral grin. For a moment an uneasy silence spread between, each assessing the other's strength.

Two set of pupils darted to the front when Kagome let out a small cry of pain as she rolled onto her side. Pained seared her wounded hip and burnt skin as tiny pebbles clung to the multiple wounds. She staggered, hissing as the pain intensified, to the wall. Keeping one hand on the wall, she leaned heavily on the gray stone. She knew what was coming. Any idiot could feel the tension that was building between the two, and with her presence…

Outside the cave, the rain hissed more violently as it slammed into the ground harder.

They attacked.

Goryoumaru slashed with his left arm. It was a special weapon that he had created. Using the blood of elemental, light youkai he was able to mutilate his arm into a horribly clawed mass. Lightening shot out from his claws, flying through the air like tiny throwing knives.

Twisting, Inuyasha dodged the strikes, suffering only a small knick from a stray bolt.

Kagome let out a small yelp of surprise when the lightning slammed into the wall next to her.

Letting out a growl, Inuyasha attacked Goryoumaru with his own set of claws. He was aware of Kagome's presence, almost painfully so. The hanyou knew that it would be so easy to end this fight. With one swing of his father's keepsake. He would have to use that soon. With her off to the side he would be able to use the conflicting youki to create _that _attack. However, before he used it, he wanted to feel Goryoumaru's blood running beneath his claws, against his skin.

He had to be quick. Kagome wouldn't be able to stand upright much longer, if her pained breathing was any indication.

The two lashed at each other again, claws colliding in a violent clash. A sliver of transparent flesh got embedded underneath Inuyasha's claws, and he growled in frustration.

Blood.

He needed to feel the blood.

"Inu-"

The gasp was soft, barely audible. Inuyasha spared the speaker a quick glance, and what he saw shook him to the core.

Kagome looked pale, so unbelievably pale. Her stormy eyes were unfocused and glazed, and her limbs shook with a violent tremor. Blood flowed over the fingers that were covering the wound on her side.

Gods, there was so much blood.

Bolts of lightning suddenly seared through his skin, breaking the hanyou from his stunned observation. He glanced down at his arm, surprised to see the way his sleeve smoked, and the blackness of his burned skin.

Apparently the lightning blades didn't just cut.

There was the sound of someone staggering to the floor and ragged breathing. Mentally, Inuyasha was cursing up a storm.

As much as he wanted to feel that bastard's blood flow, he couldn't. She wouldn't be able to stay conscious that much longer, she was losing so much of her life's blood. Kagome would probably be able to stay conscious for maybe five more minutes, ten if he was luckily. Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha jumped a slight distance away from Goryoumaru.

He really hated doing this.

Inuyasha held up the pointer figure of his right hand, and held at eye level.

Goryoumaru halted in whatever attack he was about to use against Inuyasha.

The inu hanyou grunted as he slid the curved nail of his claw into the iris of his left eye.

Goryoumaru continued to watch, fascinated by the way no blood or liquid flowed from the puncture wound.

The black pearl pulsed.

It didn't hurt, not really. Sliding a claw through the membrane of his eyes, amazingly, did not hurt. It just felt really disturbing. It was an itchy sort of sensation, and it took all of his self control to resist the urge to scratch the eye. Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha murmured in the tongue of his father's blood.

_Black pearl of the soul, grant me the fang of steel. Grant me the power to protect the one who makes me complete._

His voice sounded gravelly as it formed the ancient words. As the last word rolled of his tongue, the black pearl within his iris pulsed a second time. Energy rolled off of each pulse.

The fine hairs on Goryoumaru's neck rose, and the youkai had an uneasy feeling that by watching Inuyasha he was sealing his own fate. He continued to watch though, enraptured, as the hanyou pulled the claw from his eye. He lowered the hand down to his side, and it was then that Goryoumaru noted that a small…_something _was attached to the pad of that finger. It pulsed darkly, once, twice.

Then it started to grow.

Fear welled up deep in his belly. He wanted to move, but found he couldn't.

Inuyasha took a step back, and the small object hung in midair. Disturbingly enough, the hanyou's face was completely calm, void of all anger.

Goryoumaru wasn't sure which nerved him more, his enemy's sudden calmness or the growing object.

It pulsed twice again, and started to become taller, wider. With every second pulse the object grew larger. It took several pulses before it stopped growing. It was then that he noticed the shape of the object. It looked like a katana. Rust infested the tip of the blade, and leather straps were all that held the hilt together.

The dark-haired youkai laughed weakly. His legs felt like rubber. What was he so afraid of? Surely the hanyou couldn't do much damage with that rusty piece of crap.

Then Inuyasha closed his hand over the hilt.

The sudden flash of light forced Goryoumaru to cover his eyes. When he opened them again, slowly, fear filled his being once more.

Now, in place of a rusty, unused katana was a wicked-looking blade. It was broad, maybe two hand widths, and that was just at the base. The sword broadened more as it curved upward. It gleamed white as Inuyasha took the hilt in both hands. The hanyou stood a little to the side, sliding into an attack crouch. A grin that was as wicked as the sword, spread across his lips.

With the eerie gleam in those golden eyes, and the deadly blade, Inuyasha looked truly demonic.

"Like it? Oyaji calls it Tessaiga. They say it can kill a hundred youkai with one strike."

Staring at the blade, Goryoumaru believed it.

The panic that was starting to fill him was overwhelming. It seeped into his pores, and every instinct in him was screaming to run.

He did.

Inuyasha chased the youkai only as far the cave entrance. There he stopped the feral grin still on his face. Planting his feet firmly on the stone ground, the hanyou cast Kagome a quick glance before swinging the blade.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

Youki twisted and collided together, forming air pressure blades that flew out from Tessaiga. They tore through the ground, flinging mud through the air. They left huge indentations in the ground that looked like a gigantic youkai had dug his claws into it.

Inuyasha peered into the rains, his heart jumping in his chest. Did he succeed? Did he get Goryoumaru? The furry triangles of his ears flicked forward, trying to catch any sounds that might key him on what happened.

There was a strangled cry as the 'Kaze no Kizu' tore through the trees, and the pounding sound of a fleeing youkai disappeared. The pressure blades ripped up a massive amount of the Acid Forests before finally disappearing into the air. The silver-haired hanyou waited, holding his breath, for the tell tale thump of the body hitting the ground.

It came and went.

He waited.

Scant minutes passed by, and he dared to hope.

Then came the heavy sound of dragging feet as Goryoumaru heaved himself to his feet and hobbled away from the cave.

His ears dropped slightly, and his hope plummeted back to earth.

Damn it, the bastard was still alive.

A pained groan and a thud brought Inuyasha backed to the present. He cursed himself for being an idiot, and guilt crept into him for forgetting about Kagome and how horribly hurt she was – even if it was only for a minute. He spun around, Tessaiga clattering to the ground, and rushed further into the cave.

He barely managed to catch her before her head slammed against the stone floor.

"Kagome? Come on, koi, hold on."

Inuyasha's eyes actually started to tear.

Kneeling down on the floor he gently pulled her limp body onto his lap.

"Inu-"

"Shh, don't speak." He gently brushed the sable strands away from her face. Her face was pained as she gazed up at him, the glazed look still in her eyes.

For a moment, he couldn't breathe, as he took in her battered appearance. What had happened to her over the past week? How had she survived the fall? There were so many questions he wanted to ask her.

A cough wracked a body that seemed too frail to survive.

So many questions, and no time. Inuyasha turned his eyes to the cave entrance. The rains continued to fall. Damn it, how the hell was he supposed to get her out of here? She needed help, and she needed it now.

"Inuyasha." Her weak voice and the shaking finger that brushed his chin drew his attention. Kagome's glazed eyes were narrowed in a frown. "Why are you crying?"

He wasn't even aware that they had fallen. Not bothering to brush them away, Inuyasha placed her hand in his clawed one. He couldn't trust himself to speak. He had found her again, and now there was the possibility that she might die. Kagome was shaking so bad. Her skin was cold to the touch. He refused to let himself think that the trembling might be from blood loss. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of the what ifs and maybe that were crowding it. If he could just concentrate on her out of here then maybe, just maybe, she might have a chance.

It was going to be tough to get her through the forest without the rains touching her. Maybe he could use his clothing to cover her…

Yes, that would work. The clothing he now wore was all embedded with youki, even his boxers. He would have to bind her wounds. His jeans should be enough. Setting Kagome gently on the ground, Inuyasha stepped away. He peeled off his jeans. The acid that clung to the thick material would cause her a bit of pain, but it would only last for a few minutes. Besides it was better then her bleeding to death.

"Stay here." He murmured, saying it more for his own piece of mind. There was no way Kagome could move away even if she wanted to. She could hardly keep her head up.

He grabbed Tessaiga from the cave entrance. Sitting down, close to Kagome, he set to work. He used the broad blade to cut the jean legs into long, wide strips. It was awkward, slow work. The pearl's power would fade soon. Already, he could feel his eye starting to pulse less and less.

He was lucky.

Inuyasha had just finished slicing up the last pant leg when the sword reverted to its rusty form. The black pearl in his eye pulse three times, and Tessaiga disappeared, sealed away in his eye until the next time he needed it.

He shrugged out of a long, cotton, shirt. Suddenly, the hanyou felt very self-conscious. This was as close to being naked that he had ever been in Kagome's presence. Trying to ignore the way his face heated up at the thought that he would also be entering the camp like this, Inuyasha took the jean strips. Positioning himself next to her body he carefully pulled her up into a sitting position.

When she immediately keeled over, he pulled her closer to the cave wall, letting her back rest against it. He then took the strips, one at a time, and wrapped them around her waist. He murmured soft apologies for every hiss of pain. He tried to be quick without being sloppy, but bandages had never been his strong suit. He had to rewrap them several times before he was satisfied.

"I'm tired." Kagome murmured when he had finished.

Inuyasha didn't respond until he had wrapped his shirt firmly around her pale body (thankfully he had worn the one that buttons up), and gathered her lithe form in his arms. He nuzzled her neck, whispering another apology in her ear.

"Sleep." He murmured, as he walked towards the cave entrance. "Go ahead and sleep."

Every fiber in his body was screaming no as he cave her consent to rest. A part of him was terrified that she would never wake up. However, the other, more sensible part – a part that rarely made itself known – reminded him that sleep was not going to kill her.

She wouldn't die from sleep.

If anything it would only help her when they reached the camp.

"Sleep." Inuyasha repeated in response to an indistinct murmur. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and ran out of the cave and into the burning rains.

* * *

Warmth surrounded her, enveloping her in its softness. Her wounds now only produced a small ache. Kagome groaned softly as her conscious pushed its way through the haze sleeping to awake. Slowly, her stormy eyes opened. Blinking she stared up at the cave ceiling. The young woman turned her head to the side and was greeted with a cloud of silver.

A warm, fuzzy – almost indescribable – feeling filled her.

She reached out a hand to stroke the silver tresses, her fingers finally resting on the furry ears. Inuyasha's head was lying on the cotton comforter, one of his arms spread across her stomach.

He breathed in slowly, deeply.

Kagome stroked the velvety tips of Inuyasha's ears.

He groaned, his head nuzzling her hand a bit before shifting away. Sleepy golden eyes stared back at her.

She smiled.

The arm that had been draped across her waist moved and cupped her cheek. The sleepy look left the hanyou's only to be replaced by a look of concern.

"Are you hurt?" The pad of his thumb brushed her cheek. "Do you need anything? Do you feel hot? Are you in pain? Are you hungry, Kagome?"

The smile quickly left her stormy eyes to be replaced with hot irritation at the sudden barrage of questions.

"I'm _fine_, Inuyasha." There was a sharp edge in her voice that made him wince. Kagome jerked her face away from his touch.

His ears drooped.

He had the look of a scolded puppy, and she couldn't but giggle. No matter how irritated or angry she was with him that look always made her laugh.

He probably knew it too.

"You're not angry?" He asked cautiously.

Kagome had to force herself to narrow her eyes.

"No, I just want you to stop coddling me." She ground out.

A fire glittered in the molten orbs, and Kagome had to bite back a smile.

She'd never let him know how much she appreciated, and loved, everything that he was doing for her. A week had only passed since the time she had fallen from the cliff to the time Inuyasha found her, but it felt like so much more.

All the torture, the suffering, the pain…there were times when she wanted nothing more then to just die. Goryoumaru had been after the cursed jewel, the Shikon. She had refused to tell him where it was, and he had beaten her for it. As much as the beatings had hurt Kagome was terrified to tell him that the jewel had already been absorbed into her blood. It had lost its stone shape.

If he had known that he would have killed her, or worse...

If he had known that he could acquire the jewel's power by claiming her just once…

She had wanted to stay alive. Wanted to see Inuyasha again. Even though she would beg for death at the end of every beating, Kagome had never meant it.

Now here she was, back in the refugee camp. Inuyasha was fusing over her so much that it was well past the point of being annoying, and she was enjoying ever minute of it.

To be fussed over, to know that someone still loved her…

She shifted her body so that she was facing away from Inuyasha. If she continued looking at him she would probably start grinning. If he knew that she was actually enjoying the way he was constantly hovering over her…

There was only so much coddling a person could take.

A growl was the only warning she got as Inuyasha suddenly grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. Kagome couldn't but blush at the sudden proximity between his face and hers, and at the fierce look in his eyes.

"Don't do that!" He growled. "Your wrists!"

_Remember the beatings._

"Inu-"

"You could hurt yourself!"

_He's only acting like an ass because he cares._

"Damn it, Kagome, stop struggling! You're too weak right now!"

_Screw that._

Her eyes flashed, and Inuyasha loosened his grip, startled by the anger he saw there. She was about to pointedly remind him that she was not weak. That she had stayed in bed like a good girl for the past month. That Miroku had also said she just needed to not do any heavy lifting for the next few days when a soft voice interrupted them.

"Isn't it a little early for this?"

Inuyasha whirled around, narrowing his eyes at the woman that stood in the entrance.

Kaiyla's only response to the growl that was thrown her way was a fanged grin.

Inuyasha stomped over to her, his temper rising when Kaiyla continued to ignore him. It only rose when the youkai ducked under the arms that had been planning to force her out and stepped into the infirmary.

"How ya doin', Kag?" Kaiyla twirled with a lock of tawny hair as she approached Kagome's bed, her emerald eyes dancing.

"Terrible." The grin that Kagome couldn't stop was at great conflict with her words. She couldn't help it. Kaiyla was one of the refugees that Sesshoumaru had sent from his own camp. His camp had been getting too crowded, and Inuyasha had more then enough room. It had been a group of ten, but so far she had only met Kaiyla, Naraku, and Jakotsu. Her grin grew even wider as she remembered their first meeting.

_Kagome let her legs dangle from the tall stone that Inuyasha had placed her on as she smiled at the three refugees._

_The young man with long wavy hair, whom Inuyasha had identified as Naraku, nodded curtly. The other dark-haired person (with the way this person, Jakotsu, was dressed it was impossible to tell the sex) choose to ignore her. Instead, Jakotsu was clinging to Naraku's arm, chattering away mindlessly. Suddenly he stopped and sent Kagome a chilling glare._

_"Keep your eyes off of Aman, bitch!"_

_Kagome blinked twice before finally understanding what Jakotsu had said. _

_Inuyasha was about to growl out something, but the tawny haired neko youkai beat him to it. She brought a fist crashing down on Jakotsu's head, her emerald eyes glittering with promise. _

_"Shut up, you fruit! **No one** is interested in Naraku. If the perv hasn't made a move on him then you should know it's a lost cause." The youkai then turned her attention to Kagome, and her annoyed expression turned to a huge grin. "Kaiyla. Tell me something Kagome-chan…is it alright that I call you that?"_

_Kagome nodded._

_"How can you stand a prick like this mutt?" Kaiyla jerked a thumb in Inuyasha's direction._

_The inu hanyou was, once again, about to growl out some retort only to be interrupted, again._

_Jakotsu, apparently, was still screeching about the insult to Naraku._

_"How dare you say that about my Aman you…you floozy!"_

_Kaiyla spared Jakotsu the barest of glances, her expression bland._

_"Aman?" Kagome finally seemed to realize who Jakotsu was talking about. She turned her head to look at Inuyasha. "I thought you said his name was Naraku."_

_"Onigumo, actually." Kaiyla was the one who spoke and a rare smile twitched at Inuyasha's lips. Kagome still looked confused, and a little annoyed. Clearly, this was some big joke._

_Naraku was looking fairly red._

_"He changed his name." Inuyasha explained._

_"So he chose…Naraku? Doesn't that mean theater stage?"_

_"Basement of one, actually." Kaiyla interjected._

_"It means abyss!" Naraku's face was now purple and his nose flared at the indignation. This was only made worse by Jakotsu who stroked the arm that he clung to. He pressed a kiss to Naraku's cheek._

_"Personally I thought Aman would have been better." He rubbed his cheek against Naraku's arm. "My lover."_

Kaiyla was sarcastic and sadistic. There were many times when the men would complain about having to do work, and the neko youkai's presence was always more then enough to encourage them to shut their mouths. At any complaint she would flex her claws and grin, allowing her curved canines to flash silver in the light. She would casually mention the oil that was just waiting to be boiled over a fire, or the jeweled dagger that had been passed down through the female generations of her family. She rarely ever mentioned castration.

She kept the men on top of work, and many hated her for it. Kaiyla liked to keep the heavy work that she did a secret. That work was usually too much for a mortal man, and she enjoyed the reputation of being a cruel, heartless bitch. It was only the slackers and the newcomers that called her this, but she encouraged it.

Kaiyla was just as strict with the woman, although she never threatened them as she did the others. She would sneak into the youkai towns once a week, to acquire the supplies that allowed the refugees to keep track of how close Goryoumaru's lackeys were getting to the camps. She would also steal some commodities, the little things that only women could appreciate. They were small things – salon brand shampoo, lip balm, maybe some makeup. Gifts for the women that didn't complain about their tasks. Kaiyla also held a lottery once a month. At that time she would sneak away to the town again. This trip was a secret one. Not even Inuyasha knew about it. Only women could partake in this lottery, and the woman got to pick what she wanted Kaiyla to steal. It was never anything big. Expensive clothes and items were excluded; those stores were always heavily guarded. Most often or not it was a type of sweet, maybe even a bolt of cloth to make clothes from.

She also watched over the sick when she wasn't on watch duty. She was the one who had been picking up Inuyasha's slack when the hanyou thought Kagome had died. Even when she broke her arm, Kaiyla still made sure things went smoothly.

If it wasn't for Kaiyla, Kagome figured she would have already plunged over the deep end.

It's not that she wasn't grateful for everything that Inuyasha was trying to do. It felt so good to be near him again, to be able to take comfort in his presence. He was there to comfort her when nightmares plagued her dreams. Nightmares of the tortures, the beatings, the smell of burnt flesh and the bleeding pain of singed skin. Inuyasha never knew what had happened, and he never asked. Kagome was grateful for that.

She had missed him so much during her captivity. Thoughts of him had been what sustained her, what had urged her to brave the acid rain and escape. It was so nice to be protected again, but even she had her limits.

Kaiyla understood this. The youkai took great care to be in the vicinity whenever she could and would always enter the infirmary whenever the air seemed too thick with tension.

Inuyasha was becoming a bit overbearing, and it was time to put a stop to that. The neko was surprised that Kagome had yet to catch cabin fever. She actually seemed to like being coddled. It was only in the past weeks that she started to show signs of irritation.

Whatever happened to her must have been horrible.

"Bitch."

Kaiyla's eyes drifted over to meet a pair of annoyed amber ones. Her lips twisted up into a sly grin.

"Mutt."

"Beady-eyed."

"Hanyou."

The banter was light, and even Kaiyla's retort only caused Inuyasha's skin to turn a faint pink. His birthright was a source of sensitivity, and few could get away with it. He opened his mouth to say something that was a tender subject of her's when the neko brought a fist crashing down on his skull.

Inuyasha let out a snarl and leapt at her, his argument with Kagome momentarily forgotten.

Kaiyla regarded him with a look akin to laziness. She side-stepped the claw attack, and wrapped her own clawed hand around Inuyasha's wrist. Emitting a slight grunt, she flipped the silver-haired hanyou over her shoulder.

His back was slammed onto the stone floor, and his ears twitched wildly as a ringing echoed within. Inuyasha was still trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened, when Kaiyla placed a booted foot on his chest. She gave him a feral grin as he blinked up at her.

"Now Inuyasha," The venom sweetness in her voice made him cringe, "you are going to let Kagome-chan get out of this infirmary. If you don't I will make sure you stay here all day."

Inuyasha scraped his claws against the floor, muttering darkly as he tried to escape. The attempt was futile. The pressure that was applied against his chest was firm, but not hard. It was just enough to prevent him from escaping. If they hadn't been in the infirmary he would have escaped by now. It would have been so easy to dig his claws under her boot and give Kaiyla the sort of treatment he had just received.

"Inuyasha, please?"

His amber eyes flicked over to the bed at the pleading tone in Kagome's voice and he felt his resistance melt away. She had pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed. Her cobalt eyes were like a doe's – soft, teary, and pleading. The faint smear of yellow, a bruise that hadn't quite healed, gave her a pathetic appearance. To make matters worse she had clasped her hands in front of her chest.

In short, she was begging.

It was something that she must have acquired in her captivity. Before she would never beg. She would simply give him the silent treatment – pointedly ignoring him – and refuse to put out. She was so much more skittish now. Kagome had changed from the strong, independent woman that he had fallen in love with.

He still loved her, there was no doubt about that, but it broke his heart to see her changed. He had to get her back to the way she was. Inuyasha knew that it would be no easy task, and that the worst thing he could possibly do was coddle, but he didn't know what else to do.

Maybe Kaiyla would help if he asked…

So many emotions were warring inside his head, but Inuyasha only responded with a "keh" and turned his head to the side.

"Do what you want."

"Come on, Kag." Kaiyla smiled as she stepped away from the prone hanyou. "Sango and I have something to show you."

Kagome hesitated a moment, not sure if Inuyasha was mad at her or not. She slipped of the bed, and walked over to crouch next to him.

"Is it really alright, Inu?"

"Doesn't really matter. I have work to do." Inuyasha snorted, mentally cursing himself for being so curt. His eyes softened as he watched the young woman walk away from him and follow the tawny-haired neko out of the infirmary. He really was no good with this type of things anyways. While she was weak and needed constant assistance it had been easy, but now…he didn't know how to act around her.

Whenever he looked in her eyes he saw constant shadows of doubt and shame. Maybe whatever Kaiyla and Sango had planned would help. Maybe he should go to his father for advice. Inutaisho had always been the sensitive type. It was one trait that neither of his sons had inherited.

Yes, that was the best thing to do. The problem with the Shikon could wait.

* * *

**What did you think? I really enjoyed writing this story. I'm sorry if it seemed long. That's because it is 39+ pages. Thanks to Purple Uranium for giving me the motivation to get off my ass and update. Wow, this is the first story actually finished. Kind of sad, really**

**Zel no Miko: And that is the story of her life.**

**Bitch.**


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